Three cloths on altar?

[gemtwin84]

I have been working in a Catholic high school and was told a few weeks ago by our chaplain, who is a canon lawyer, that he recently learned something new about altar cloths. He told me that a white cloth goes on the altar first, then the colored cloth of the appropriate liturgical season and then a second white cloth.

He told me he first read in in an article he found on Zenit.org and thought it might also be outlined in the sacramentary. I searched and searched both the site and read through the sacramentary and did not find anything that said this. All I found was that there needed to be at least one cloth on the altar for a Mass.

I don’t want to sound like I don’t believe him but I would like to see it in print for myself so that if and when I am ever questioned about it I can cite a document or teaching verses ‘my chaplain told me’ kind of thing. I know I should just ask him again where he read it specifically or ask him to send me the link but I do enjoy the search myself. (part of the whole learning process)

Can anyone help me out here?
Gem

 

[japhy]

… a white cloth goes on the altar first, then the colored cloth of the appropriate liturgical season and then a second white cloth.

GIRM 304: “Out of reverence for the celebration of the memorial of the Lord and for the banquet in which the Body and Blood of the Lord are offered on an altar where this memorial is celebrated, there should be at least one white cloth, its shape, size, and decoration in keeping with the altar’s design. When, in the dioceses of the United States of America, other cloths are used in addition to the altar cloth, then those cloths may be of other colors possessing Christian honorific or festive significance according to longstanding local usage, provided that the uppermost cloth covering the mensa (i.e., the altar cloth itself) is always white in color.”

He told me he first read in in an article he found on Zenit.org and thought it might also be outlined in the sacramentary. I searched and searched both the site and read through the sacramentary and did not find anything that said this.

Here are the Zenit articles I’ve found relating to altar cloths: 1 and 2. Neither one says anything about using a white cloth, a liturgically-colored cloth, and a white top cloth.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I have been working in a Catholic high school and was told a few weeks ago by our chaplain, who is a canon lawyer, that he recently learned something new about altar cloths. He told me that a white cloth goes on the altar first, then the colored cloth of the appropriate liturgical season and then a second white cloth.

He told me he first read in in an article he found on Zenit.org and thought it might also be outlined in the sacramentary. I searched and searched both the site and read through the sacramentary and did not find anything that said this. All I found was that there needed to be at least one cloth on the altar for a Mass.

I don’t want to sound like I don’t believe him but I would like to see it in print for myself so that if and when I am ever questioned about it I can cite a document or teaching verses ‘my chaplain told me’ kind of thing. I know I should just ask him again where he read it specifically or ask him to send me the link but I do enjoy the search myself. (part of the whole learning process)

Can anyone help me out here?
Gem

Only one altar cloth is required and it is to remain on the altar at all times and must be white. If a liturgical color cloth is used then three are required. The first covers the top of the altar, is white and is always left in place, the second hangs down on the sides to the floor and can be the liturgical color. The third or top cloth only hangs down a little on the sides and must be white.

 

[gemtwin84]

Only one altar cloth is required and it is to remain on the altar at all times and must be white. If a liturgical color cloth is used then three are required. The first covers the top of the altar, is white and is always left in place, the second hangs down on the sides to the floor and can be the liturgical color. The third or top cloth only hangs down a little on the sides and must be white.

Thank you both for your answers and the links to the Zenit articles. It makes sense where there is a colored cloth but where specifically does it say there are to be three? I’m still not seeing it.

 

[Phemie]

Thank you both for your answers and the links to the Zenit articles. It makes sense where there is a colored cloth but where specifically does it say there are to be three? I’m still not seeing it.

I don’t read that either. To me the GIRM says:

1. 
   *] You must have a cloth on the altar and it must be white.
   *] You may have a coloured cloth as long as you also use a white one and that white one must be on top of the coloured one.